Reflection on the Gospel of the Tuesday After Epiphany |
Mark 6:34-44 |
There are many references that can be drawn from the idea of ‘food’ from the Gospels. But I would like to dwell on it being compared to God’s Word, and Jesus liken it to being our primary food, when he refutes the Devil in the Desert Temptations;
“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”
Todays Gospel, where Jesus is feeding the five thousand, is a foreshadowing of Jesus’ Eucharistic Covenant – which is a pre-present celebration of Jesus’ own Sacrifice on the Cross, where he offers himself as bread for everyone. I am inviting you to engage with Jesus sacramentally as well as through reading of the Bible. Reflect on the words of Peter…, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life,” and then like Him we will be able to see and say, “Lord we believe, and now fully realise, that you are God’s Son and our Saviour.
These last 18 months have been rocking the world, we do not know what is next, but even as you engage with Jesus and feed on Him, you will be filled with an assurance firm, a trust unshakable, an abiding peace and joy flowing from the wisdom and from the favour of growing into a deeper relationship with God. And you will be richer for the experience. This then will be your pearl of great price, take hold of it.
I do believe Scripture is the grace that can transform us. It conveys to us God’s nature and fullness in words, yes the Bible words are cryptic yet discernible for the one who humbly sits at the Lords feet with his thoughts, questions and confusion. Above all, if we desire to discover and see Him, and apply ourselves to reading and appropriating the Bible Understanding, we than start knowing why we are God’s Children, and stop doubting and start believe/claiming, thus inheriting a proper way of Living our lives here on Earth as His Sons/Daughters.
Start reading a chapter or two, each day, you can start from Genesis and go forward, don’t worry if some things you do not understand, speak to Jesus about them, but do not stop…, carry on, if you think some of the reading like lists of officers, or genealogies are boring, skip them, but move ahead… you will not understand then, but eventually you will see that you are changing…
Don’t look at the huge nature of the task, nor at all your previous failures, express your desire to Jesus; that you want to know Him better and to help you, and just start…
